The Island's Secret
by JESUSFREAK-And-Proud-Of-It
Summary: "Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped..." The Lost Episode of Book Fire. Set in between The Puppetmaster and Nightmares and Daydreams. Extended Edition
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is an extended and improved edition of the first one-shot I ever wrote, originally titled 'The Island of the Windthrowers.' This edition of the story will have at least three, possibly more chapters. Enjoy! Or don't. Your choice. :D

* * *

The sun was just beginning to shed its pink rays over the horizon as Appa collapsed on the beach of a vacant and uninhabited island. A ways from the mainland, it was a good place to rest for a day without the risk of the bison being discovered, and after much debate, the Gaang finally agreed to land there.

Toph, despite her outward indifferent appearance, and never quite having gained a stomach for flying, was the first to the solid, yet sandy ground. She stretched her arms above her head lazily, yawning loudly and falling back on the warm dark sand of the beach. With a soft swish of air, Aang was beside her, Sokka and Katara following suit. Sokka yawned, pulling his meteorite-metal sword and sheath off his shoulder and laying it over him as he lay in the sand.

"Man," he mumbled, resting his head on his hands as he stared up at the brightening sky. "I can't believe we've been flying for almost two straight days!"

Katara, who was fingering her long, thick brown hair restlessly, lifted her cool blue eyes to stare at her brother. "I know," she agreed, her voice betraying the exhaustion everyone felt. "And the invasion is only a week away. I hope we make it in time."

This roused an unexpected nervous chatter from Aang, who sat up abruptly, and who clearly thought he wasn't ready for his upcoming tangle with destiny. "A week away? Well, of course it's that close. The invasion is in seven days. Great Earth Kingdom! Is it really that close? Momo…!" The faithful flying lemur landed on his shoulder as he continued to babble, until he was talking so fast that no one, not even Katara, who was usually fairly skilled at deciphering the Avatar's incessant jabbering, could understand him.

Toph, growing exasperated with her pupil's noise, shifted a large amount of sand and clumsily threw it at the twelve-year-old Avatar. (Toph is not really a very good sand-bender, but we can give her credit for using something softer than her fist)

Sand suddenly filling his ears and mouth ceased Aang's senseless gobbledygook and he began coughing and spitting out the salty, volcanic sea grit. Once he regained the power of speech, the young Avatar retaliated. "Hey! What was that for?"

Toph closed her eyes, her hands behind her head, lying flat on her back on the sand. "Calm down, Twinkletoes," she commented, any other words she was planning on saying drown out in an enormous yawn. The two Water Tribe siblings took up her yawn, and Aang couldn't resist the urge that overcame him. The airbender collapsed with a sigh onto his back, still with his mouth wide open.

A loud hoot from a distant ship's whistle brought everyone back quickly to wakefulness. All four sat bolt upright, staring out upon the water, sudden panic glowing in their eyes. "What was that?" Aang asked pointlessly. The gang suddenly realized how exposed they were on the wide strip of beach.

Katara was the first to reply. "I think it was a cargo ship's horn. We should probably move into the forest. Appa is a little too exposed here—he sticks out like a sore thumb against all this dark earth. And, within sight of the mainland, it's dangerous, too." Appa moaned softly in agreement.

Everyone gathered themselves and moved quickly up the beach and into the sparse tropical forest that provided sufficient cover for their ten-ton flying bison. Though the ground sloped slightly uphill, sprouting a tall peak in the relative center of the island, the going was pretty easy. Tossing their things upon the sandy earth in the middle of a small clearing once they felt they were a good distance away from the shoreline, the team collapsed yet again, ready to sleep.

In a comment that was randomly and quite annoyingly out of place, Sokka, upon collapsing on the ground, stated, "I'm hungry."

Aang, Katara, and Toph covered their faces with their hands and groaned. Sokka stared at the trio moaning before him. "What?"

Toph rolled her sightless eyes. "You're _always _hungry."

"Well?" Sokka replied indifferently. "So?"

It was Katara's turn to roll her eyes. "So you're _not_ getting anything to eat. We're going to be short on rations soon if you keep eating like a hogmonkey in a banana tree."

Sokka's only reply was to cross his arms and grunt; a gesture in which he considered 'manly.'

Aang snickered, recalling how similar Katara looked when she did the exact same thing.

Sokka ignored any further ridicule and rolled over on his side, his back facing the other three. Before long, he was snoring softly, a good indication that he was asleep.

Sighing, his sister curled up with her cheek to the cool sand and closed her glittering blue eyes.

The twelve year old earthbending master followed suit after a minute, and soon all three were breathing softly in the calm oblivion of sleep.

Aang lay on his back, staring through the gap in the trees overhead, where the gray, star-sprinkled sky was slowly transforming into a lighter rosy hue. Momo leapt from the sand and landed on the young airbender's chest, curling up to sleep. Aang patted the lemur affectionately.

"Guess it's just you and me, Momo," he whispered with a wane smile. The lemur only snored in reply. Aang sighed heavily, his silver gaze lifting to the ever-brightening morning sky.

* * *

Aang wasn't sure why he awoke. But when he did, he found himself staring at the mid-day sun, filtering its rays between the spaces in the thick foliage down into the shade, where it warmed his face. He blinked rapidly; the bright sunlight obscured his vision. He sat up, stretching and yawning.

The young airbender rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around. Beside him, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were still asleep, breathing softly. Appa was snoring his great bison snore a few yards away, and his massive frame cast a sizable shadow upon the rest of the group. Momo was nowhere to be seen.

Lazily, using his airbending as a support, the Avatar floated to a standing position. Aang glanced around once more. The glade was quiet…really quiet. No twitter of birds or consistent whine of insects…or even the occasional _shish _of the wind through the treetops. Unnaturally quiet.

_Weird… _The young avatar thought, puzzled. _Where is…?_

Aang's puzzled thought process was broken by a very loud, very lemury screech. Momo leapt out of nowhere, landing on an unsuspecting Aang's shoulder and hissing with fury fueled by fear. The young Avatar spun around and immediately assumed a defensive stance. Aang heard a loud hiss of gathered sand, a swish of water, and a metallic _shing_ of a meteorite sword being pulled from its sheath behind him, and knew his three companions had wakened.

Crouching not five feet from him was a boy—very young, around the age of five. He was dressed in a tunic and shorts made of some sort of woven, green material that uncannily resembled the leaves of several trees lining the outer edge of the grove. His gray eyes were dilated in surprise and fear, and in his hand he clutched a thin, long staff.

Beside him stood an odd creature, something that appeared kin to a badger-leopard, but much smaller, perhaps a baby. The creature growled, baring its tiny, pointed fangs, and the boy was frozen, eyes livid with terror.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Aang heard Katara's soft voice behind him. The young airbender stepped back slowly and cautiously, until he was beside his three friends. Then he heard Katara's voice again, this time it was slightly frustrated.

"Sokka! Put that sword away! You're scaring the poor kid!"

The Water Tribe warrior lowered his sword, but didn't sheath it. His ice-blue gaze was frustrated. "Katara, don't be so naive! What if he has angry friends?"

As if on cue, the terrified boy bolted back into the forest in a breath of wind, springing from tree-branch to tree-branch like a squirrel-mouse.

"What do we do now?" Toph allowed the small, deformed black stone she was holding drop back to earth and stood straight. "Should we let him go?"

Katara stared after the strange boy worriedly. "I don't know. He's got to have a village somewhere. Maybe we should look for it."

Aang disagreed. "Katara, this island is pretty big, and it's covered with dense rainforest! We would be wasting our time to go looking for it!"

"Yeah," Sokka commented. "The best thing would be for us to just leave."

"But did you see him?" Katara protested. "Did he look like a killer to you? He was only like five years old! And what if he _is _here alone? What if he's stranded? What if he ran just because he was afraid we would hurt him?" She stared pointedly at Sokka's drawn sword.

The Avatar shrugged, glancing at Sokka. "She does have a point."

"Point, Shmoint!" Sokka brushed off Aang's statement and blatantly pushed forward in his argument, gesturing wildly. "We only have a week to get to the rendezvous point, to meet up with Dad! We don't have time to go gallivanting around looking for a boy who could have parents that can attack us!"

"Sokka…" Katara begged, before she was cut off by her stubborn older brother.

"Katara, you're impossible! Come on, let's go while we can!" Gesturing with his blade, he grabbed one of Appa's horns and swung up. His three companions stared up at him resignedly but didn't move. "Come on!" he repeated.

Momo, who was still sitting on Aang's shoulder, suddenly twisted around with a growl. A rustling in the bushes gave only an instantaneous warning before the green warriors fell out of the trees, ambushing the group and overpowering them. Sokka, conscious for longer than the other three, yelled out as he was attacked with huge wooden clubs and forced down by blows that seemed to come from nowhere, "WHAT DID I TELL YOU, KATARA?! OW!! HEY—," he was hit over the head with a crude club and fell to the ground, out cold.

* * *

When Toph woke up, she opened her sightless eyes, and her head swam with pain, and she felt like she had been slammed against the wall of Ba Sing Se several dozen times. She sat up, wobbling shakily, and felt around. It took a moment for her to determine that she was in some kind of bamboo cage, hung suspended from the ground. As her mental vision cleared enough for her to see slightly, she could tell that her other three companions were in the same cage, still unconscious. She kicked out, catching Sokka in the thigh. He moaned an opened his eyes.

"W-where are we?"

"How am I supposed to know? I can't see when we're up in the air!"

"Geez, take it easy, Toph."

"How high up are we?"

The warrior peered out between the stout bars of the cage, and glanced downward. He gulped, and glanced back toward his blind companion.

"On second thought," Toph muttered, remembering a usually subtle fear of heights suddenly, as if it had punched her in the gut, "I don't want to know."

Another moan from across the cage reached her sensitive ear. "Aang's coming around," she stated. Sokka turned toward the airbender, who sat up slowly, clutching the huge bump on the back of his head.

"Ow, I thought having hair would make it hurt _less _when you're hit, ugh…where are we?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied, looking around, his mind clicking crazily as he tried to decipher an avenue of action. The cage they sat in was suspended from an enormous tree, and it seemed they were very near the top. The bough they hung from was at least twenty feet above their heads, and they were secured to it by a stout-looking but rusty old chain. The warrior tried to calculate the distance it was and the time it would take to climb. After a moment, he shook his head. Only Aang would be able to make it that far very easily, and without being able to see, Toph would have more trouble than the attempt was worth. Nor were there any branches growing close enough to where they could jump if they managed to even get out of the cage. He glanced back at the others, and announced with a voice that said 'I told you so', "But I do know this is a result of not just trusting me and leaving this island when we should have."

Aang rolled his eyes.

Katara, lying in the corner, rolled over and groaned. She sat up slowly, massaging her temples. "Uhhh…" she moaned, looking around at the others within their confinement. "Well…" she began, "It looks like we're all in the same boat."

"You mean the same cage," Toph remarked humorlessly.

Sokka laughed. Everyone stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"What? It was funny!"

Katara and Aang continued to stare at him, and Toph rolled her eyes.

"Hmph…" he grumbled, crossing his arms. "No good sense of humor."

"What are we going to do now?" Aang pushed forth the problem facing them. "This wood is weird," he struck it with a fist, made pained a face, and shook his hand. "…and very hard," he added.

"Katara," Sokka spoke directly to his sister, coming out of his sulk as he thought of something. "Do you still have that water? I think they took away my sword."

"Yeah," Katara nodded, pulling it out.

A sudden violent shaking of the cage threw everyone to the floor, and Katara almost lost the small container. A strange voice from above rang through their ears. "Isn't any water that'll break this confinement!"

The companions peered upward. A boy, about Sokka's age, or a little older, sat perched leisurely on top of their single cell. "And there isn't any Fire Navy soldier that'll live to tell the world that we're livin' here."

Toph blinked in bewilderment. "Where did _he _come from?" she whispered to Katara, who shrugged helplessly.

Suddenly the cage rocked once more as a girl landed on the top of it. "Brother," she rolled her silver eyes. "What did mom tell you about teasing the Fire Nation soldiers?"

"But we're not Fire Nation soldiers!" Aang looked upward pleadingly at the two siblings, who exchanged '_that's-what-they-all-say' _glances. "No!" Aang begged, "Seriously, we're not! Look!" He motioned toward Katara, and she flipped the lid of the small water container she was carrying. Aang bended it out and swirled it around, in and out of the cage bars with fanciful flicks of his wrists, hoping it would awe them enough to convince the two skeptics of their claim.

"Whoa!" the girl said, on her hands and knees, peering over the edge. "How did you do that?"

Her brother made a rude sound. He sat leisurely, leaning up against the chain with his arms crossed. "As if pretty water tricks will make us believe you." But his gray eyes betrayed that he was interested.

Katara slowly took the water from Aang and bended it back into its container. "See?" she said. "And Toph," she motioned to the dejected blind master who leaned against the bars in a sulk, "Is an earthbender. Please. Can you let us out? None of us are from the Fire Nation."

The girl cocked her head toward the teenage boy. "They can move water! Have you ever even heard of that?"

The boy made the rude noise once more. "Don't let them fool you!" he said, unconvinced. "They're Fire Navy sailors or they wouldn't be here." And to the surprise of all four prisoners, he stood and jumped from the cage to an adjacent branch ten feet away with a _whoosh _of air. The cage again rocked violently, but the girl didn't seem to notice. Aang, finally realizing who they were, grasped the cage's bars with excitement. "Your brother is an airbender!" he cried.

The girl seemed confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on her young face. "Ah, you mean windthrowers. Yes. We all are."

"Where did you come from? How did you get here?"

"I…don't know. I think we've always been here. As long as I have lived, anyway."

But Aang was persistent, and Katara, catching on, helped Aang to press from the girl all she knew. She and her clan had been on the island for generations. The legend, told by the village storytellers and historians, was that they were survivors from an ancient civilization, and they escaped from a Fire Navy ship passing the island to dock at the mainland. No one on the island much believed the myth, but it was still taught, nevertheless.

The island had fresh water and an abundance of good food, and they had no where else to go, so they settled and adapted. They hunted the wild, clove-hoofed goat-deer that roamed the eastern tip of the island. Their home was in the trees, but they cooked and held celebrations in an enormous underground cavern under the mountain.

After a few decades of living in peace, firebenders came to the island, trying to clear the forest and settle it for their own. So they viciously attacked, and killed all but two sailors, who barely escaped with their lives in a dingy and rowed to the mainland.

Apparently word got out that there were vengeful ghosts on the island, and all people—settler or soldier—who braved the place 'mysteriously disappeared.' But in fact, the girl told them, they were simply killed, so no one would betray their presence living there. The island hadn't been disturbed in years, partial thanks to the Fire Navy superstitious lore, and partial thanks to a score of lookouts posted facing every direction on the mountain top.

"…so," the girl finished after nearly an hour of talking, "that's why you're going to be executed at sunset tomorrow."

"Can't you do anything to stop it?" Toph pleaded.

The girl shook her head sadly as she stood up. "No, sorry. But I'm sad that you will have to be killed…you guys are nice Fire Nation soldiers." With a wan smile, she sprang away.

Aang slid down to the flood of the cage, shaking with excitement, fear, anxiety, and immense relief, all at the same time. "I'm not the last airbender!" he exclaimed. "Some of them escaped! They found a place to live and thrive here, where the war couldn't get them!"

"That's great, Aang," Katara placed her hands over the airbender's shoulders in a hug, sounding genuinely happy, but for some reason, deep in her own subconscious, something was uneasy.

Toph crossed her arms. "Yeah, sure, great! Hooray, we found your long lost people. But that doesn't change the fact that we're going to be killed because they think we're firebenders! And way up here I can't exactly prove them wrong!"

"_I _can, though!" Aang explained. If I could only get free of this cage, I can prove I'm an airbender!"

Sokka, ever the one to point out a problem, commented, "That's great, for you, but how are you going to prove that _we're _not firebenders?"

"With any luck," Katara pointed out, "He already did." She flicked her wrist and sent the water container flying toward her brother. He caught it.

"Well…" Sokka whined, searching for another flaw in their vague plan, but finally had no real answer to give.

"Okay, then," Katara nodded toward the Water Tribe warrior, and he flipped the container open. The water came flowing out and shot, with substantial force at the bamboo. It made the tiniest hint of an impression on the stout wood. Katara sighed and swirled the water back toward her. "We better get to work."


	2. Chapter 2

The waterbender and the airbender worked hard at the bamboo for two hours. With one last huff, Aang sent the water flying, and it slashed through the last section of the pole. Katara gave a good jerk at the stout pole and it crackled and broke. She pulled it in into the cage and Aang sized up the hole. "With one more bar out, I think I can squeeze through."

Toph groaned, covering her face with her hands.

The pair got hard to work once more, and it took them nearly two and a half hours to get through the second bar. As they finished, Sokka glanced up to notice that the sky had flared to a pink-orange hue, and the light was dimming quickly from the sky.

"Can you guys pick up the pace?" he urged with a wild hand gesture.

Instead of replying, Aang pulled the bar out with a grunt of effort and handed it to Katara. Suddenly, there was another thump on the top of the cage, followed by the inevitable violent rocking, forcing them to cling to the bars to keep from being tossed around.

This time a very different, much older voice mocked the prisoners. "What are you plannin' to do when you get out of there? Fall?"

The young Avatar smirked up at the windthrower that stood above, sneering down at them. He stuck his head and shoulders out through the bars, allowing himself to get a better look at their tormentor. Making eye contact, he stared pleasantly at the green-clad warrior.

"Yep," Aang replied with an equally mocking grin, and promptly squeezed through the hole.

Aang heard Katara yell his name as he fell, but he had no time to yell back, because the windthrower was upon him in an instant. The man lunged forward, trying to grab him, but was surprised when he found he was clutching air. Aang had sprung off a branch and away. The windthrower gave quick chase, shouting the alarm at the top of his voice as he went.

The bellow of a ram's horn sounded, spurring the Avatar to even greater speeds as he flung himself from tree to tree.

Despite his agility, Aang quickly found he was surrounded by windthrowers, and, matching his abilities, they caught him with relative ease. He was pinned to the trunk of a large oak by four strong warriors. He lay there, panting, but didn't struggle.

From within the crowd of warriors that crouched on and hung from the trees surrounding him, a woman approached Aang with caution. She seemed to be some sort of leader. Her garb, like the little boy the gang had first laid eyes on, as well as the rest of the Avatar's pursuers, was green and made from an assortment of tree leaves and mysterious thread. Her skin was streaked with some sort of brown dye, no doubt allowing for excellent camouflage in the trees. Around her neck, she wore a wooden-beaded pendant, one the Avatar recognized as an airbending nun's. It bore the symbol of the Air Nomads.

Aang still made no move against the men restraining him, but beamed up at the lady with an innocent, joyful expression. He resisted the urge to compliment her on the speed and accuracy of her warriors, knowing that this was neither the time nor the place to wallow in his glee. Despite this, he felt like leaping up and down and zooming through the sky, shouting aloud with pure exuberance. He was no longer alone!

The matriarch scrutinized him up and down with a quizzical look, eyeing the misleading Fire Nation schoolboy's clothing he wore.

"I am Akiko, Matron of the Windthrowers." The woman began her statement in a strict, yet dangerously calm tone of voice, "It is clear that you are a windthrower as well. I wasn't aware the Fire Navy recruited traitors."

At this, Aang didn't hesitate to protest loud and clearly, his silver eyes blazing with an indignant gleam. "I am not from the Fire Nation. I'm an airbender, just like you! I demand you let me and my friends go free."

To his surprise, the woman laughed. She crossed her mud-streaked arms across her chest and stared at him skeptically. "So, you give us a little display and a chase, and you immediately think we will release you? Tell me, if you are not of the Fire Nation, why are you dressed in their clothing, as well as all your friends?"

"My friends and I are traveling in disguise. We are going to meet a group of our allies to mount an attack on the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Such fantastic tales from one so young. Have they brainwashed you?"

Aang shook his head, frustrated. This was tougher than he had thought. Suddenly remembering Appa and Momo, he inquired, "Where have you taken my bison?"

"Oh," the leader nodded, "That great flying beast. He was quite hard to overcome. We have never seen a beast of that size with _fur. _Only the Fire Navy's Komodo Rhinos, and they are only half his weight!"

The young Avatar frowned. Never seen? The Air Nomad's entire culture was based around partnership with the Sky Bison. It was clear that these people had been forced to adapt to their new surroundings, and in the process, lost many of their customs in the process. These were no longer the airbenders of old, and Aang again felt the pang of disappointment grip his stomach. With less enthusiasm, he repeated his inquiry. "Where have you taken him?"

The woman looked at him quizzically, her gray eyes flashing. "It took many of our warriors to detain him. He has magnificent strength."

Horrified at what Appa's fate might have been, Aang lunged against the men restraining him, who grunted with the effort of holding him down, his eyes glinting with unbridled anger.

"If you've hurt him, I'll…!!"

The woman held up a hand. "Peace, boy, your animal wasn't harmed. He and that small cat creature you brought are in holding cells similar to yours. Of course, your ('bison', did you call it?) is confined in one of our caves."

"Appa hates being underground."

The protest slipped out before Aang could stop it.

Akiko blinked, masking her surprise with a raised eyebrow. She said nothing.

It was several more moments before the tide of panic that had flooded his mind retracted, and when it was gone, it left the airbender feeling drained. "Please," Aang continued, "Let us go. My friend Sokka; he and Katara are brother and sister. They are part of the Southern Water Tribe, and they live at the South Pole. Their father is Hakoda, and he is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He is meeting with us on an island so we can mount our attack to stop this war. The blind girl, Toph, she's my earthbending master…"

The woman snorted with disdain. "A little girl? A master?"

Aang blinked. "You'd be surprised," he said simply. He took a breath, and began again. "And I'm from the Air temples that you…well, I guess they're your ancestors, now…came from. I'm the Avatar." When only a perplexed silence followed, Aang added, "But I guess you don't know that, if you've been isolated from the outside world for a hundred years."

"Tell me, Avatar," Akiko began after a moment, and the expression on her face was thoughtful, "Why do you wear a head covering?"

Aang smiled obligingly. "To hide my identity, of course." he replied.

The matriarch waved a hand, and one of her warriors dropped from the trees to stand on the tree limb beside her. "Then you won't mind if it's taken off?"

Before Aang could even reply, the man stepped forward and whipped the headband off, revealing the tip of his blue arrow in full glory.

A scattered gasp went up among the ranks and was silenced by the matriarch's quick gesture.

_Perhaps, _Aang thought with a sparkle of excitement, _Not all of the Air Nomad culture has been washed away._

Akiko remained silent, seemingly contemplating over the believability of his story. Finally, she selected three men and gave them their orders. "Go and retrieve the three other prisoners, and bring them to our camp. I am interested in learning more of his story from the others, and I think The Elders can shed some light where none shines. Put a cloth in this one's mouth so he cannot speak, and put them in the prison cells."

As Aang was forcibly gagged using his own headband and toted off toward the windthrower's camp, he mentally admired Akiko's strategy. If he hadn't been telling the truth, Sokka, Katara, and Toph would have made up another story, hoping it was similar to his. But he wasn't worried. Telling the truth may have just helped them find a path out of their terrible situation. Even if the detour ahead was a long one, he was confident that they would get onto the right road soon.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I'm currently working on Chapter three, but no promises as to when it will be up! Have a wonderful week!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry this was such a long time in coming. I practically forgot about it, and since no one seems to be taking much interest in it…well, I'm continuing it anyway. I think it has some good potential…maybe I'll get around to finding it eventually. Anyway, for those of you who might read…enjoy.

* * *

The gang was reunited at the windthrowers camp, which was, as they had been told, an _enormous _underground cavern beneath the great inactive volcano. Sokka, Toph, and Katara had been yanked along through the treetops, kept from dropping to their deaths only by a few men's arms. Tied at the wrists and ankles, they would have slim chance to survive if they fell. The Water Tribe siblings' eyes were so huge with terror that if they had wanted to try to fit a coconut inside of their sockets, it _would_ be physically possible. Toph, though she couldn't see how far from the ground they really were, was completely terrified of the speed in which they traveled, and clung to the warrior carrying her for dear life.

Now, she currently lay sprawled on the ashy volcanic ground, drawing comfort and security from the familiarity of it, her sightless eyes wider than a giant squid's. Despite being blind, even she didn't receive the liberty of not being tied up. Even with the restraints, had it not been for her utter helpless state, the earthbending master could've blasted the mountain open in a few seconds and have the windthrowers pleading for mercy. Sokka and Katara, a little unnerved but otherwise unharmed, sat on the ground beside the frightened young metalbender. The water tribe warrior took Toph's shoulder and pulled the girl to a sitting position, and the trio huddled together for comfort.

Glancing around, Katara and her brother noted the hundreds of green-clothed, dirt-streaked people gathered, some sitting on ledges at the entrance to small caves scattered throughout the huge living space, some of them hundreds of feet above their heads. Many people stood or sat at ground level, lounging and most likely waiting for the action to begin. In the very middle of the cavern was a gargantuan pit, and in the very middle of the pit was a tiny bubbling hole of molten lava. It glowed like the sun, and steam hissed from the opening, keeping the cavern warm, but not oppressively so. Dotted all throughout the cavern walls were hundreds of window-sized holes, likely allowing the heat to be released, so it wouldn't become overwhelmingly hot in the cave, as well as an entrance place for many daredevils among the windthrower community. There were exactly three large tunnels, one at ground level and two nearly as high as two Appa-lengths tall, most likely leading to more caverns.

Aang was shoved down beside his companions, still biting the cloth in his mouth. Katara's relieved sigh met the airbender upon his return, but Sokka's _'what-have-you-done-now' _glare was a little less than welcoming.

Akiko approached them, flanked by two warriors, and she stood patiently as they were forced to their knees before her. Gesturing behind them, she addressed Katara.

"You three will spend the night in that cell. I doubt it would be as comfortable as lavished quarters you're used to, but under the circumstances, that can't be helped."

Indignant anger bubbled up inside of the waterbender, but she forced herself to stay calm and hide as much of her unease as was possible. "Where are you taking Aang?"

"The sprightly boy?" the woman replied with a laugh, her gray eyes dancing by the light of the red glowing magma, "Don't worry about him. His story and performance has convinced me that you Fire Nation allies are worth looking into, for the moment, at least. Tomorrow we will hold a session. You're friend here," she waved a hand toward Aang, "Will be blindfolded, gagged, and restrained, so he can give you no subtle signals. If your story matches his, a debate will be open among our council on what is to be done with you. If it doesn't, you all will be executed tomorrow at sunset." Leaving at that, the matriarch signaled to the guards.

Before Aang could do so much as exchange glances with the others, he was hoisted up by the waist and toted off to Yue-knows-where, probably another holding cell similar to the one Sokka, Katara, and Toph were promptly shoved into.

As the door to the cave, constructed out of sturdy bamboo bars, was closed behind them, Katara grasped Sokka and Toph's shoulders, pulling them to the corner of the shallow cave where they could talk in low tones without being overheard.

The waterbender eyed the guards that lined their small prison, each equipped with an identical staff, sharpened at both ends to create a sort of double-ended spear.

Toph, finally regaining control of her breath and her whirling thoughts, nudged Katara and whispered, "Want me to bust us out of here?"

To her companions' surprise, the waterbender shook her head.

Sokka's voice squealed up a few octaves as he hissed in a low tone, "_What?_ Katara, you have no idea what they'll do to us…or Aang! We don't have time to wait; we have to get out of here!"

She turned to face her brother, placing her palms on the smooth stone below her knees. Her gaze was set and decided. "These people are_ airbenders_, Sokka! Possibly the last existing in the _entire _world, besides Aang! And you want to split without giving them a chance to trust us and join us? Think of what we could do together against the Fire Nation! Have you thought about what this could _mean? _The Fire Nation thinks all the airbenders are gone. Then Aang showed up, and they've been chasing us around and trying to kill us since we found him! But this place…this island is untouchable! Think of the strategic advantages this could give our entire invasion force! This could be a fallback place for…for war councils, or planning, or…for _everything! _Just give it a thought, Sokka. If we escape now, without a word, they'll think we're on the _wrong _side! And why trust us if we ever came back again? This is a hidden society, terrorized by the Fire Nation since the war started! And yet, now they live in peace, underground and completely self-sufficient!"

Toph leaned back against the stone wall, staring with blank eyes toward the water tribe warrior and shrugging. "You've got to admit, Snoozles, this time, she _does _have a point."

Sokka was silent, staring at the charcoal-colored ground. Finally, he massaged his temples and sighed. Looking up at his sister, he said resignedly, "Okay. We'll do it your way…but if it doesn't work, we're busting out, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And speaking of our fallback plan, we need to do some preparation. First of all, Toph, can you see where Appa is?"

The earthbender got to her knees, pressing her palms to the ground obligingly, and began her search. Thus, the trio got to work.

Aang was tossed unceremoniously into a similar cave, and he hit the stone with a grunt. Sitting up immediately and slapping a hand over the tender scrape on his cheek, he spun around to face the front of the cell, which was secured by a bamboo door just like the one his friends were in.

In a way, Aang was still in shock. After traveling the entire world for months, he had pretty much resigned himself to believing that the Air Nomads, along with their entire culture, was completely gone from the world. And all that was left of his people was him, Appa, Momo, and the Temples' ruins. He had given himself up to believe that Teo and his Mechanist father were the closest those Temples would ever be to returning to the past.

But a hidden society of airbenders, completely isolated from the war and the rest of the world…living on the edge of the very Nation that almost entirely destroyed them…it was a difficult idea to wrap his mind around, at the very least. But being thrown headlong into this world was much more than Aang had ever imagined.

Sure, the Air Nomads had changed and adapted…and through their hardships had basically transformed _all _of their traditions…but Aang was positive that Fate had sent he and his friends here, to help these lost airbenders remember who they were, a proud, peaceful people who had gained their reputation by advertisement of their good food and free-floating spirit.

The remainder of the night, Aang drifted in and out of sleep. Swirling images from his memory surfaced in the front of his mind.

…_Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I, we're your family now..._

…_Then the Fire Nation attacked our temple. My people needed me and I wasn't there to help…the world needed me and I wasn't there to help..._

…_I really _am_ the last airbender…_

…_Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped…_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Semi-short chapter. Much thanks to Aryck1095 for helping me get off my butt and post this. Please, please review. If I add another please, it still probably won't convince you, but I'll do it anyway. PLEASE...enjoy. That is all.

* * *

Aang awoke to the sound of drums. He could feel their steady, distant thumping through the earth. The vibrations were as relentless as the ocean waves against a sandy beach, as soothing as a heartbeat, and made Aang feel warm and safe. As safe as he had felt over a hundred years ago in his own bed in the Southern Air Temple. Snuggling deeper into the gray fabric of his sleeve, he sought sleep once again.

But this illusion didn't last long. Reality washed over him like the tide at its highest, and the airbender's eyes shot open, pushing himself up to a sitting position. His blurry vision sharpened and focused, and the distinct throb of the drums pounded with the pace of his heartbeat, flaring in his ears.

The cave was dark, and only a sliver of sunlight slanted through a window hole outside his confinement. Judging by the light's intensity and the angle at which it came into the cavern, Aang guessed it was about mid-morning, much later than he usually got up. He and his friends were usually in the air before sunrise, to help further disguise Appa's ascension from early risers in the Fire Nation towns.

Shifting his weight, the airbender grunted. Though he was used to sleeping on the hard ground, the rough stone had scraped his palms and gave him a few more bruises than he was comfortable with. Despite the dull pain, Aang rose to a crouch, and took a few tentative steps toward the entrance of the cell. Alert, he curled his tender fingers around the bamboo poles that kept him inside and wondered how he had escaped from behind one set of bars just to end up behind them again. Gazing out upon the camp, his eyes met the pulsating red glow that emanated from the magma pool in the center of the cavernous city. He could make out several silhouettes surrounding the enormous glowing pool, dumping into it buckets of…was that stone? Aang squinted. He couldn't tell, the magma was too bright. He could hear the _hiss _and _glub _of the contents of the buckets as they met with the molten stone. A sudden wave of horror washed through him as he realized their actual identity…bones. Animal bones. Aang felt nauseous. He reeled, trying his best to keep from throwing up. He didn't succeed.

Wiping his mouth with a sleeve, he clutched his upset stomach. Yesterday, the likelihood of reviving the Air Nomad culture had had a bright future in Aang's mind. Today, witnessing what little he had, that chance seemed to steadily shrink. The Avatar was appalled. How could his people abandon their way of life…? He understood that they must've needed to use their airbending skill for self defense, and for protection of their new home…but how could they just drop everything they'd ever known in favor for something so…different? Despair crept into Aang's heart, and a sharp ache formed below the lump in his throat. Wasn't there _anyone _left who remembered the old ways? Anyone at all? Or was he truly the very last Air Nomad?

He was willing to try something…_anything _to ease the overwhelming sense of loneliness and loss that had numbed his limbs and his mind. There must've been a way to discover if there was anyone left from the original escapees. Surely, by now, they would be over a hundred years old, but Bumi had been alive. Alive and kicking. Literally. This thought gave Aang a flicker of hope as he knocked with a sore fist on the bamboo.

"Hel-_loooo!_" he called loudly, hoping to catch the attention of a passerby by sticking his arms between the bars and waving them madly.

A thick, muscled hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed his wrists fiercely, yanking him with a muffled _"oof!" _against the bars. A warrior, nearly two heads taller than Aang and looking to be several years older, leaned down in his face, hissing.

"Be _quiet, _boy, or I'll be forced to make you!"

The tone of his voice wasn't threatening, far from it. Shockingly, Aang detected a hint of uncertainty and—possibly even fear. He released Aang's sleeves and glared at him in what he probably thought was an intimidating manner. Deciding to use the man's slight hesitancy against him, Aang flashed a warm smile at the warrior. "Technically," he began matter-of-factly, gesturing in a wide sweep, like Sokka sometimes did, "I'm decades older than you, so 'boy' really isn't an appropriate title."

The warrior blinked, clearly not expecting this cheeky response. "Well…what am I supposed to call you, then?"

The Avatar smiled. "If you must, I suppose you could call me…sir. Or, if you aren't the formal type, you could just call me Aang."

Eyebrow raised, the warrior crossed his arms skeptically. "All right…Aang." His tone was one of mild curiosity, mixed together with slight amazement.

The airbender gazed at him expectantly from behind the bars of his prison.

"What?"

"Well," Aang prompted, "Now that I've told you my name, aren't you going to let me have yours?"

"We don't trade names with prisoners," the warrior responded bluntly, in a voice a tad weaker than he probably meant to sound.

"Oh," Aang deflated visibly. Another custom gone… "Well, uh, _back in my day, _the Air Nomads had no prisoners. Heh, it sounds so weird to say that."

A few moments of silence stretched out between the two before, finally, the warrior spoke again. "You know, you're not like the other Fire Nation soldiers that end up here."

Swallowing a stinging protest, Aang choked out, "What do you mean?"

The warrior shifted, his leafy green garb rippling in the sunlight that was beginning to flood through the cavern. "Our other prisoners just sat curled up in the back of the cells, never speaking nor making any noise. There eyes were always wide and white, and they'd flinch if anyone ever spoke to them. You…you're different. You seem to like us…care about us, even. And you're a windthrower. Just like us. But you're most likely going to be executed, just like the rest of them. It doesn't seem fair…I almost feel—betrayed."

Aang sighed, turning slowly all the way around to settle on the ground in a lotus position, his chin in his hands. "I kind of know what you mean."

The warrior tipped his head to the side, looking down at Aang's slumped figure almost compassionately. "Gorou," he said suddenly.

The Avatar glanced up. "What?"

"Gorou," the warrior repeated, hesitantly but with gaining confidence. "It's my name."

Aang glanced up, eyes shining. "Well, Gorou," he said, the name rolling over his tongue like so much sweet candy. He smiled broadly. "It's _very_ nice to meet you."

* * *

**A/N:** Should I do it again? Eh, why not. PLEASE? Come on, people, it's RIGHT THERE! Have a heart!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** And so the adventure continues...

* * *

The old man ran his wrinkled, calloused hands over Appa's wide brow. Stroking the bison's curved horn, he marveled at sight he beheld. Appa moaned, uncomfortable in the confined space of the cavern. Sniffing at the old man's dusty garments, Appa snorted and lifted his wide tail, thumping the floor of the cave. Dust fell in showers from the ceiling, covering the bison with a thin layer of dirt.

A rumble of weak but lighthearted laughter echoed through the cavern, and the old man coughed. Appa, shaking himself off, detected something familiar in the old man's voice and dipped his great head, allowing the man to scratch behind his ears.

"What do you make of him, Father?" Akiko stepped out of the shadows and into the light filtering in from the magma holes in the ceiling of the cavern, but kept a cautious distance from the enormous beast.

The old man sighed, but Akiko detected the sparkle of wonder in his cloudy blue eyes. "You are too young to remember the Sky Bison," he replied in a somber voice that was wheezy and cracked with age. "They once were the center of all our lives…our culture. They taught our ancestors to bend the wind."

"If that is true," Akiko responded, her dark eyes flashing, "Where are they today? Why have they abandoned us? How did these Fire Nation children come into the possession of this one?"

"Where have you taken his saddle?" the old man asked, patting the bison's shoulder.

Akiko felt a spike of irritation as his attention lapsed and he avoided her questions, but she answered his anyway.

"We've taken it to the Upper Chamber for examination. We can't determine its origin. It's unlike any Fire Nation device we've seen. But we've confirmed its contents. There are maps of the Fire Nation and a curious plan written out. Our scholars are analyzing them now."

"There are other birds outside the nest, Akiko," the old man observed wisely. "Show me to the Chamber. I can assist our scholars. Meanwhile," he added, rubbing Appa's furry arrow, "Get someone to feed our esteemed guest. If my memory serves me well, they very much enjoy a good watermelon."

"Yes, Father," Akiko obliged respectfully, taking the old man's arm and leading him toward the cavern's exit.

When Appa groaned in protest at the old airbender's departure, Akiko frowned nervously.

"He will be well looked after."

* * *

"Can you see anything?"

"Ugh, get off me, Snoozles!"

"I'm not on you!"

"You elbow is sticking in my ribs!"

"I'm not on you!"

"MOVE!"

A solid _rap _sounded from the front of the cave as one of the guards struck the bars with the butt of his staff. "Hey! Prisoners! Be quiet in there!"

Sokka and Toph stopped struggling, and the water tribesman called out to the man indignantly. "This is a small cave! _Excuse me_ for being a bit uncomfortable!"

The guard glared murderously, and Toph's sightless eyes narrowed as she picked up on his irritation. "Sokka, you idiot…" she hissed, "Don't provoke them."

Katara sat on her knees a foot away, overseeing the entire ordeal with a disapproving gaze, her hands on her hips. She glanced worriedly toward their cell's entrance. "I hope Aang's all right."

"He's probably starved to death…I know I am," Sokka muttered, clutching his stomach as it protested loudly, the noise reverberating off the walls of the cell. "Appa's saddle had all of our food!"

Katara glowered at her brother, and Toph punched his arm with as much force as she could muster, slamming him sideways onto the floor of the cave. He sat up groaning and whimpering, demanding a motive from the earthbender. Toph only scowled.

Placing a restraining hand on the earthbender's shoulder, Katara stared disapprovingly at Sokka. "Calm down, both of you. We're not getting anywhere like this." She took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then shifted gears. Gesturing toward the ground, she said, "All right. So we know that there is one exit on ground level, and there are natural gaps in the mountainside up high. So, do you think that those holes are exits?"

"They must be," Sokka concluded. "What once were magma paths for the molten rock are now exits for the airbenders. It probably isn't hard for them to just hop up the cliff face and pop through one of the holes to the outside. No wonder they've been able to keep this place so protected. No one can find their headquarters. I wouldn't be surprised if they disguised those entrances too."

"So," Toph interceded, "How does this help_ us_? We're not on their side as of yet."

"True," Katara agreed. "As of right now, we have to decide what we're going to say to this 'council'."

"I think telling the truth is our best bet," Sokka offered. "They're obviously against the Fire Nation, so we've got nothing to lose. If we just—"

"You in there!"

The warrior hushed himself, and the huddled trio turned their faces toward the bars of their confinement.

A man stood there, dressed in the typical green that marked every windthrower. In a loud, commanding voice, he introduced himself. "I am Souta, Defense Coordinator of our island. Come forth to the mouth of the cave!"

Wordlessly, they obeyed.

Shuffling forward to avoid striking his head on the low ceiling, Sokka observed the scene with narrowed eyes. One guard threw open the latch of the bamboo gate, and the other grasped the bars and pulled it open. Then, the first guard entered their cell and proceeded to tie each of their hands together with a long length of thick twine. Sokka glared defiantly at the guard as he held out his hands to be tied.

The guard stared coldly back, and when he finished with Toph and Katara, secured the end of the line to his own wrist. Then, he led them out of the cell and onto the narrow ledge that overlooked the main cavern. Marching forward at a brisk pace, the guard led his charges in a single-file line down a narrow stairwell that led from the ledge to the floor of the large gathering place. The second guard swung their cell door closed once more, and took up a place just behind Katara, who was the last to step onto the thin pathway. She hesitated, unsure of the new footing. The second guard grasped the waterbender's shoulder and shoved her forward, forcefully but not cruelly.

She stumbled into Toph, and the earthbender was forced to brace back against the waterbender to prevent them both from falling. Righting herself, Katara regained her balance and inched fearfully away from the edge, where the path dropped away dizzyingly.

"Thanks," the waterbender murmured shakily, and Toph tipped her head in silent acknowledgment.

"So," Sokka nudged the guard in front of him with an elbow. "Where are you taking us?"

The guard shot him an icy glare, but said nothing.

Sokka's eyes narrowed. He didn't like being ignored. "Look here, you—"

A loud voice interrupted him from behind. Sokka recognized it as Souta's.

"You will stand trial in the Judgment Cave."

"The Judgment Cave?" Toph echoed.

The Defense Coordinator went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "You will give your story, and if the Elders deem it true, you will be released. If they deem it false, you will be executed."

"Oh happy day," Sokka muttered darkly.

* * *

Aang was half-asleep again when he heard the scrape of bamboo against stone as his cell door was pushed aside. Blinking, his eyes had just begun to focus when someone lifted him forcefully and dragged him by his vest collar out of his unaccommodating prison.

Looking to Gorou for an explanation, Aang struggled in the unyielding grip of his oppressor.

Gorou latched the bamboo door shut and turned to face them.

"Akira," Gorou spoke out disapprovingly to his clan mate. "Loosen your grip. He won't run."

Twisting around, Aang caught a glimpse of the man who held him fast by his tunic. He was young, even more so than Gorou. He looked to be still in his teens. There was a fierce glint in his brown eyes that spoke of a hardened core. Aang could tell he was used to dealing with manipulative Fire Nations soldiers. Akira frowned, and his expression hardened, but he complied with his superior's wishes without complaint.

As the pressure from Akira's hand on the back of his neck lifted, Aang smiled gratefully toward Gorou, and the man inclined his head respectfully. Motioning for Akira to move forward, the guard took a long piece of what looked like a vine stripped of its foliage and tied Aang's hands. Then, Gorou took a strip of cloth and blindfolded him. "Just a formality," he murmured, but Aang knew it wasn't.

"You'll have to carry him," Gorou spoke with authority, and Akira nodded.

But when the teen stooped to pick Aang up, the airbender sidestepped. "I can do it."

"But," Gorou protested, "The path is too steep; the footing too slippery. You cannot do it blindfolded."

"I can," Aang countered simply. To prove himself, he turned and walked straight toward the narrow path. Akira held the end of the vine that secured his hands, and followed closely behind. Gorou fell into step beside him.

"If he falls," Akira remarked coldly, motioning to the rope he held in his hand, "I will not jeopardize my life by holding onto this."

Before Gorou had a chance to respond with a reprimand, Aang laughed. Both windthrowers turned to stare at the peculiar boy as he strode confidently down the path ahead of them. "You're an airbender," Aang said, turning around to face them. "Just as I am. It is a long way down, but we are just as safe as we would be on the ground."

They continued on in silence for a minute, until Gorou ventured a question. "So, how is it that you are able to maneuver so easily down this path…blindfolded as you are?"

Aang chuckled. "Well, that has nothing to do with airbending at all."

Akira's eyes narrowed irritably. "Then what _does _it have to do with?"

"Earthbending," Aang replied amicably.

Akira snorted. "I haven't ever heard of such abilities."

"I have," Gorou intervened.

"But," Akira corrected, "The ability to control more than one element? The very idea goes against all we know to be true. It is a myth."

Aang shrugged. "It's no more a myth than airbending…or any other bending discipline, for that matter."

Akira lapsed into a sulky silence, but Gorou was intrigued. "So, you claim to have this ability? You can control more than one element?"  
Aang was all too happy to confirm. "Earth, water, and air!"

Akira scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Gorou ignored him, and spoke to Aang with poorly disguised surprise in his voice. "That's…interesting."

"I could show you some moves, if you'd li…eck!" Aang gasped as the vine that secured his hands was jerked roughly.

Akira wound the end of the vine rope once more around his wrist and halted their procession. "Enough banter. Gorou, with all due respect, you should know better than to get affiliated with the prisoners. He's told enough lies as it is. And isn't he _supposed_ to be gagged?"

"You're right," Gorou admitted regretfully, and reluctantly took another strip of cloth from his belt and tied it around the airbender's jaw and through his mouth.

"Good then," Akira nodded approvingly after inspecting Gorou's job, and gave the vine a shake to indicate it was time to move forward.

His spirits deflated, Aang plodded on.


	6. Chapter 6

The Judgment Cave was a branch off from the main cavern, connected by a thin, worn-smooth tunnel that had been created by magma flow centuries before. The tunnel was almost impossible to reach or escape from without the skills of an airbender, which is what made it an ideal place to hold tribal meetings where non-airbending prisoners were involved.

Katara, Sokka, and Toph were carried from ground level to the tunnel's entrance. They made their way painstakingly up the steep slope of the tunnel. Once, Sokka slipped on the worn surface of the tunnel's floor and had to be hoisted up by the guard that led their group. As they were finally led into the chamber, the waterbender noticed a small stone ledge, only a couple feet above the floor of the chamber. On that ledge sat three windthrowers. In between two other windthrowers was Akiko.

She sat stone-still, passively observing the procession as they made their way toward the center of the large, dome-shaped cavern. Katara met her gaze and held it boldly. A flicker of a smile crossed Akiko's face before it disappeared into the depths of her suspicious brown eyes.

The prisoners were forced to their knees on a green, woven mat in front of the three Elders, and their guards took up their respective positions behind each of the three.

Toph could feel Aang's light steps through the earth long before he entered the cavern, flanked by two guards. She leaned over and nudged Katara with her shoulder, and gestured toward the Avatar with a jerk of her head.

When the waterbender caught sight of him, bound and blindfolded, she shouted out to him before the guards could silence her.

"Aang!" she cried, and he smiled when he heard her voice. The airbender tried to wave, but his tied hands made the action difficult.

A guard struck her lightly in the center of her back with his staff, and she fell forward with a grunt of pain.

As soon as the novelty of the new arrival wore off, Katara felt the gravitational center of the chamber shift from Aang to the three elders who sat impassively upon their pedestals.

This was the first time that Katara got a good look at the two elders that sat on either side of Akiko.

To her right sat an old, wrinkled man, whose skin was criss-crossed with lines and age spots. His brown robes were baggy and fit him awkwardly. They looked as though they had been shredded and patched back together again. Despite this, he sat straight-backed and with a humble dignity that bespoke of solemn wisdom. He had a wispy white beard that barely clung to his chin, and his bushy gray eyebrows shrouded his eyes in shadow. His pale skin was streaked with dirt, just as all the other windthrowers, though in his case it seemed to be mostly unintentional rather than due to strategy. A cloud of dust seemed to hang in the air about him, illuminated by rays of sunlight filtering into the cavern through the many vents in the ceiling.

To Akiko's left sat a young man, who looked to be only a couple years older than Sokka. Hardly someone Katara would categorize as an 'elder,' the teen was clothed in green like the matriarch beside him, distinguished in some way from the others. A wooden, beaded pendant hung from his neck, bearing the traditional three-swirl insignia of the Air Nomads. It was smaller than the one Akiko wore.

Sokka leaned over discreetly and murmured something in Toph's ear.

"What?" Katara whispered hastily, not taking her eyes off of the trio before them.

Sokka inched closer and repeated what he had said. "They're wearing one of those necklaces…remember? Like the Air Nomads wore."

"Maybe it's some sort of symbol of authority?" Toph suggested.

"Quiet!" Souta demanded, silencing them.

For good measure, the guard behind Toph struck her in the shoulder with the edge of his staff. Reeling, the earthbender hissed angrily through her teeth. She wanted so badly to bury the guard in the volcano, and she would've done it too, had Sokka not nudged her with his elbow in warning. Instead, she just scowled vengefully and bowed her head, allowing her thick bangs to obscure her face.

"Let this tribunal now come to order," Akiko announced when the chamber was quiet once more. She spread her arms, and pointed directly at the two water tribe siblings and the earthbender between them. "You have received your instructions. Have you chosen a spokesperson?"

Katara and Toph turned toward Sokka.

"Me?" he questioned, his voice cracking up several octaves.

Katara eyed him encouragingly, and Toph just shrugged. Annoyed at their hesitation, Souta hoisted Sokka up by the belt and forced the warrior forward.

"Yes, um_,_ Your Honor," Sokka responded nervously, clearing his throat.

"Very well," Akiko laced her fingers together beneath her chin. "Proceed."

As Sokka began his long-winded tale, Aang allowed his mind to drift. Blinking into the crimson fabric wrapped around his eyes, the airbender suppressed the desire to sigh. If he could only get this blindfold off. He would've liked to see for himself the condition of his friends, to make sure they were okay. Katara's stressed greeting had been a little more unnerving than it was comforting…darn, this stupid blindfold!

Instead of wallowing in his annoyance, Aang decided to shift gears, and focused on the hazy vibrations in the ground. His earth-sight was still far inferior to Toph's, but he could make out the fuzzy figures of his friends, kneeling on the ground, and the guards behind each of them. At his back, he could feel the anxious shifting of Gorou's feet and…from somewhere…the burning of someone's gaze tearing through his blindfold.

It was nearly ten minutes later when Sokka finished.

"...and, so yeah. That's basically how we ended up here."

The thick, thoughtful silence that followed weighed heavily on Aang's mind. He could barely make out the shifting of the water tribe siblings weight as they stole a glance at him. _Why? _He wondered, blinking into the fabric of his blindfold.

He once more felt the burn of someone's gaze focusing intently upon him.

A voice in the silence…a raspy voice, weakened by age, but nonetheless strengthened by authority…rang upon the airbender's ears.

"Gorou," the voice commanded, "Would you remove the blindfold, and release this boy from his bonds?"

And so it was done.

Aang blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light, and rubbed his sore wrists as they were released. He craned his neck upward to get a look at the man who had ordered him to be freed, and was surprised to see a cloud of dust illuminating the air around him. Aang glanced toward Akiko, and saw the expression of perplexity that flashed from beneath a carefully neutral mask. On the other side of her sat a teen who Aang had not seen before, regarding him with a cold stare.

Aang's eyes drifted back toward the old man as the old windthrower addressed him.

"What say you, boy?" the old man inquired. "Are you truly the Avatar of forgotten legend?"

Aang was dumbstruck. Something in the old man's eyes had hold of his attention, something in the creases of his wrinkled brow and the dust about him.

"Can I…" the airbender sputtered, "Can I ask…you a question?"

"Of course, young one," the old man agreed.

"Which of our Temples were you born in?"

Before the old man could reply, the voice of the third elder—the teen—resounded for the first time.

"This is not standard tribunal protocol," he interrupted angrily, "The prisoners do not ask questions. They do not speak. By allowing this hearing, we are defying the very basis of our law!"

Aang stared at him incredulously. "Defying?" he demanded, "Defying our law? What have you become? You, the airbenders who once believed in beauty and freedom! You, the descendents of those who once spread love to all four corners of the earth! You, who upon your capture and escape turned from all that is good and true to that which is deceptive and cruel! You defied our sacred law by turning to violence and manslaughter! You've become no better than the Fire Nation who kills and conquers all that it sees! I'm ashamed to see how far you have fallen, and I'm ashamed to call myself that which you have become…I am no windthrower. I am an Air Nomad…and in that I see that I am truly alone in the world!"

Upon finishing, Aang gasped for breath, having not paused at all during his outburst. He stared hard at the dark volcanic rock beneath his knees, and placed both his palms flat on the warm stone, simmering with a fading anger.

Shocked silence echoed throughout the cavern.

"How can this be?" It was the choked voice of the old man who broke the silence, and Aang brought his head up once more to level the old man with his electric gray gaze. "How can it be that I have lived my life in desolation, never realizing until this day that I have led my people astray?" The man touched his wrists and pulled up his sleeves, laying bare the blue arrows that marked his hands and arms. Aang blinked in shock.

"I thought I was a master…I thought I deserved the title, as you did." The old man met Aang's gaze, his bare forehead wrinkling with anguish. "But after you disappeared, my training was put on hold, and I never received mastery."

Aang blinked in realization, noting the old man's dirty clothing and finally recognizing the familiar gleam in his eye. "_Jinju?_" His voice was disbelieving. "Is that you?"

* * *

**A/N:** If you love puppies and/or kitties you will review! :P Por favor?


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I realize that it has been around eight months since I last updated this fic, and I am horrified. There is absolutely no excuse for this, and I wouldn't be surprised if I lost almost all of the readers that were previously interested in this story. So last night I buckled down, and spent around three hours writing this chapter, and meticulously tried to match it up with the rest of the story. So for anyone who might actually still be reading this—I thank you profusely for your extreme gift of patience, and your tolerance with my laziness and procrastination.

* * *

Sunlight, spattered with dust, drifted through the scattered holes in the ceiling of the cavern, settling in clouds on the floor around the people attending the tribal meeting.

"Time seems to have spared you your mistakes, Aang," Jinju said sadly, noting his old friend's youth, "But not I. I have grown old into mine and I shall never be able to compensate."

"No, Jinju," Aang shook his head adamantly. "You can still change it. My friends and I are going up against the Fire Lord. Join us. We can take back our life…take back our temples, take back our culture. You can teach your children and grandchildren about what was…and what we must do to go back."

"No," the old man shook his head sadly. "You don't understand, Aang," his voice trembled, "I am past redemption. I am an old man who has led his family into darkness, and now I am too weak to dig them out."

Aang blinked, and suddenly his mind slipped down into haze, trying and failing to imagine what his friend went through after he left.

Remnants of memories long past glittered in Jinju's gray eyes as he gazed solemnly down at Aang.

It was this moment that Akiko took the opportunity to intervene. "What is the meaning of this, Father?"

Jinju stared past her with glazed eyes. "My daughter, I have fooled you…"

The youngster to Akiko's left spoke up suddenly, his eyes blazing. "He's talking nonsense! The prisoner is fooling you, Grandfather. I demand the tribunal be postponed until you are feeling better."

Jinju's eyes cleared, and he stared fiercely at his grandson. "You know not of what you speak, Hachiro," the old man's expression fell into shadow, "This is my doing. I have not led you as our ancestors knew was right."

Akiko's eyes narrowed at her father's expression of self-pity. "I am in agreement with my son, Father," she stated, her voice flat. "That is two thirds of the council, in agreement with our law."

"No…" Jinju whispered hoarsely, but his kin ignored him.

"The council will reconvene at dusk. Take the prisoners back to their cells." Akiko made as if to stand.

"Matriarch!"

Akiko paused, and leveled her piercing gaze at one of the guards standing just behind Aang. "Why do you question my orders, Gorou?"

"I do not question them," Gorou straightened his shoulders, even as Akira glowered at him. "I simply wish to report that the condition of our store caves at ground level have pushed me to inquire something of you."

"Now is not the time or place to speak of tribal matters," Akiko replied coldly.

"I simply wish to request," Gorou went on, aware that he was committing insubordination, but hoping for the best, "Our use of this young windthrower's prison cell," he took Aang's arm and secured his bonds, "As a storage unit."

Across the cave, Katara exchanged a bewildered glance with her brother.

"What is he trying to accomplish?" Sokka whispered.

His sister shrugged, but she had a knowing glint in her eye.

"Where, then, shall we put _him?_" Akiko questioned.

"In with the others, Matriarch."

Akiko was unfazed. "Request denied. Take him back to his own cell, if we must move some of our supplies, we can find other families willing to share their living space."

Katara's face fell as Akira forced Aang's wrists behind him and toted him off.

* * *

"Home sweet home," Toph muttered as she and the water tribe siblings were shoved back into their cell, and the bamboo door locked behind them.

"So much for getting out of here the least painful way," Katara sighed.

The trio clustered together in the back of the cave, and brought their voices to a whisper.

"That Jinju guy could be a great help," Sokka murmured. "We could avoid busting out of the place if we got his help."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Toph retorted skeptically, "Last time I checked, we were locked up in a cave. Oh wait!" she pressed her palms to her face in mock surprise, "We still are!"

Sokka's eyes narrowed, but he shook off the earthbender's insulting words and buried himself deeper in thought, hoping to further develop the plan that was forming in the recesses of his mind.

Katara placed a hand on her brother's arm to get his attention. "The rest of his tribe obviously thinks that Jinju guy is off his rocker, Sokka," she sighed, "If they wouldn't listen to him this morning, why would they listen to him any other time?"

"If only somehow we turned the tables," Sokka mused, his crystal-blue eyes alight.

Toph blinked at him, her eyebrows twitching in realization. "You have an idea, don't you, Snoozles?"

Sokka's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he tapped his index finger against his chin. "It will involve some sneaking around and maybe an abduction or two. Think you're up to that, Toph?"

The earthbender cracked her knuckles. "Tell me what to do."

"Can you get to Aang's cell?"

Toph crouched, pressing her palms to the ground.

"Done and done."

* * *

After the stressful tribunal, Akiko returned to her personal living quarters, followed at the heels by her teenage son. She stopped just inside the door, glancing around the chamber sadly. Tucked away in the corner of the room was her bed, a simple, woven mat, formed with braided vines. Hanging from the earthen ceiling just above it were her clothes—from her leafy warrior uniform to her everyday tunic to a ceremonial robe.

Her eyes drifted down toward her own neck, where the carved pendant hung, displaying the invisible symbol for wind. Her mother had given it to her, insisting that she keep it safe. Akiko rubbed her thumb thoughtfully over smooth, sanded surface.

Hachiro stepped in the house behind her, his thoughts still whirling with what occurred during the tribunal. He strode to the opposite side of the room, where his mat was, and plopped down dramatically. Brushing a speck of dust off of his green tunic, he glanced up at Akiko.

"Mother, you don't think this kid could possibly be who he says he is, do you?"

The matriarch sighed, regarding Hachiro with solemn gray eyes. "His age is the only thing that doesn't match up. The documents they have, the account of his friends, and their Sky Bison—but he couldn't possibly be the Avatar."

"Grandfather thinks so," Hachiro ventured, curious to see what his mother really felt about Jinju's convictions.

Akiko's eyes were filled with pain. "He is old, son. He is not thinking clearly. The death of your grandmother—" the woman bit her lip and blinked, trying to tie back the grief that tugged at her emotions, "It was very hard on him. It was hard on all of us."

Hachiro's eyes hardened, stirred at the sight of his mother's pain. "It's just a sick Fire Nation trick. They must know somehow—they must being trying to strike him where it hurts the most—" he swallowed angrily, "The Avatar died a long time ago, along with the rest of Grandfather's culture."

Akiko stepped forward, kneeling beside the teen. She put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, stifling her sadness for the sake of her son. "Fear not, Hachiro. The Fire Nation will find that they cannot toy with us."

With that, she went to her mat and lay down.

After a few moments, Hachiro stood and left their quarters. He needed to meditate. Maybe the wind would lend him its wisdom.

* * *

Aang felt her coming long before she arrived. So he scooted to the back of his cell to wait.

When a patch of earth crumbled inward, revealing a hole in the dirt floor, Aang masked the sound of it with a cough.

Akira, who had replaced Gorou for the afternoon shift guarding Aang's cell, turned his head to glare suspiciously at the airbender.

Aang coughed again, trying to make it more authentic-sounding. "Sorry," he muttered, "I inhaled some ash."

Akira's distrustful gaze lingered on him for a moment before turning away. When he did, Aang crawled forward in the dust, peering down into the hole made by his earthbending master.

"Toph…?" he ventured, his voice as quiet as he could manage.

Suddenly, Toph poked her head out of the hole, and Aang jerked back in surprise.

"_Shh_," the earthbender urged, and in a hushed whisper, she explained, "Sokka sent me to break you out. We're going to talk to your friend."

"What?" Aang was confused. "Jinju?"

"No, the other one," Toph shook her head.

This explanation served only to make Aang more confused. "The other one?" he echoed dumbly.

"No time, Twinkletoes," Toph murmured, pushing herself halfway out of the hole. "Take your vest off."

"What?" Aang blinked, realizing that Toph had taken her own shirt off and had only her wrappings on. Her tasseled headband was also gone.

Sensing his stare, the earthbender glowered sightlessly at him. "I had to make a dummy me so it would look like I was still there, stupid. We have to do the same with you. Hurry up!" she hissed.

Aang wasted no more time in following her instructions, and within minutes, the stone, dummy Aang was up and ready, and they made their escape.

* * *

Hachiro inhaled deeply, relishing the feeling of the warm sun on his face and the cool breeze at his back.

Though most of the mountain was covered with dense forest, in the highest altitudes, the vegetation thinned out, and the sky could be clearly seen. There was one particular spot, high on the mountaintop, where a clear, cool stream bubbled from the stones and flowed downhill. Further down the mountain, this stream split into many fresh water tributaries that sprawled out over nearly the entire island. At its head, however, was a collection of smooth, flat boulders, weathered by an endless torrent of spring and summer rainstorms, and bleached by the warmth of the sun.

This is where Hachiro could most often be found, mulling over life's unexpected twists and turns while listening to the subtle spattering of water over stone, his body warmed by the sky's fire and cooled by the air's touch. He felt most at peace here, and even if solutions didn't arise from his musings, he always was comforted by being in this place.

Skirting the sharper rocks gathered at the base of an incline, Hachiro wove his way up the path, stepping over flowers and shrubs as he made his way through the grass. He stopped beside the brook, and climbed to the top of the highest boulder overlooking the landscape. There, on its smooth surface, he sat.

Crossing his legs in a lotus position and pressing his knuckles together, Hachio closed his eyes and cleared his mind.

* * *

"So can you at least tell me what we're doing?"

To avoid another of the windthrower's dormitories, Toph forced the earth to crumble to her left, and she moved forward swiftly. Shadowed by Aang, the earthbender clambered up the steep slope she had created. Reaching the top, she replaced the stone in the passageway behind them. Turning back toward the wall of earth before her, she fell into a horse stance and thrust her arms forward and up, bending the stone to her will.

"I told you," the earthbender huffed in reply to her friend's inquiry, "We're going to have a talk with one of these gas-bags, and if he needs a demonstration," the darkness seeped ominously from her tone, "Then we'll give him that, too."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Inhaling deeply, Hachiro focused his energy, and felt it gathering in his chest and flooding through his body with every beat of his heart. His breathing slowed and deepened, and the tension in his shoulders relaxed as his energy absorbed the anxiety. Behind his eyelids, he felt the energy, saw it as swirling colors—like seeing the wind.

The colors twirled, forming shapes and images, an entire unseen world. Hachiro saw his own thoughts mirrored there, the grief of his father's death at the hand of a particularly well-armed Fire Nation soldier. He saw the withering figure of his grandmother, a woman who _was _Fire Nation, and once had been a guard on the ship that had been transporting some fifty-odd airbenders from their destroyed temples to await execution.

Images flashed in quick succession in Hachiro's mind—memories that were not his, but incredibly vivid and lifelike all the same.

_The intense sensation of a stormy sea…the cold, damp, metal walls creaking with every heave of the ship…the frightened squeaks of young boys and girls, clinging to each other as the waves tossed them carelessly, viciously…men and women crowded into a tiny space, the stench of human neglect and suffering mingled with the tangy, pungent scent of terror…_

_Outside the holding chamber, soldiers swarmed left and right in a flurry of desperate activity…out here the smell of fear was tainted by the dampness of wet clothes and sweat…all hands were at their stations, but no amount of human strength could right the floundering ship…the rain sliced through the air almost horizontally…men and women slid across the deck, shouting as they tied down cargo that had come loose from the tossing and turning of the ship…_

_Then came the strangled cry, barely audible over the torrent of wind, but a shout caused a wail of horror to go up from every corner of the ship…_

"_We're sinking!"_

_A young recruit, sopping wet with the armor of her uniform grating harshly together as she moved, rushed by the abandoned door of the prisoner hold, distress lending energy to her limbs…_

_As she passed, a hand suddenly darted out from the tiny barred window, grabbing hold of her shoulder plate with such a desperate energy that it stopped her in her tracks…Turning, her amber eyes wild with fear, she stared into the dirty, drawn face of an airbender…His eyes were wide and bright, glittering silver in the dim light…_

"_Please…help us," his voice was dry and full of despair…_

_The ship shuddered violently beneath their feet…and several more cries of anguish erupted from within the hold, terrified…_

_The girl didn't hesitate, but her fingers were numb as she tugged at the lock to the door…she would be executed for this for certain…_if _she managed to make it out of this alive…_

Hachiro inhaled sharply, surfacing back into his own mind, drawn out of the powerful emotions that permeated the memories. It took several moments for him to bring his breathing back to normal and he was able to gather the courage to observe these memories objectively, from the safety of his mind.

Severe storms had punched a hole in the ship's hull, and the entire crew had been in the process of piling onto a limited supply of lifeboats, when Hachiro's grandmother, eighteen years old at the time, who took pity on the prisoners locked in the hold. She released them, in hopes that she and some of them could survive the shipwreck.

The airbenders quickly commandeered two lifeboats, taking with them four Fire Nation soldiers who were willing to depart with them, Hachiro's grandmother included. One lifeboat was capsized and washed away at sea, but the other one, containing about twenty airbenders and two Fire Nation soldiers, were carried by the ocean to the shore of this island, where they had built a home in the dormant volcano and lived ever since. 'Windthrower' had been a playful, teasing name his grandmother had attributed to the airbenders, but it had come to define their new culture, which was so different from the Air Nomad culture of old.

Hachiro's energy flickered, and an image of the beach he had come to know so well since his childhood appeared in his mind's eye, the same beach where his family had washed up so long ago. What had life been like for his grandfather, at the temples he had heard stories about—before the great genocide of his people? An image of this new prisoner burst to life in the colors, the flickering, lapping flames of blue reflecting the boy's sky-colored arrow. Could this really be who his grandfather suspected? The Avatar? How had he not aged? Certainly, if this was a Fire Nation trick—they could have at least sent a withered, skilled old man instead of a child.

A glimmer of red tinged the edges of the swirls, and Hachiro could feel his anxiety bubbling forth again. Then, a streak of green flooded the energy, and the teen's resolve hardened. He _would _find out. If the boy was lying he would kill him himself. If he was telling the truth—Hachiro winced as a spark of orange fizzled in the flames—it could change _everything._

Suddenly, at the sound of earth crumbling, his eyes snapped open.

* * *

Aang launched himself out of the hole he had created in the topsoil, taking up a loose defensive stance—just in case. Toph, jumping out of the tunnel just behind him, and aware of the tendencies of airbenders to leap out of her plane of sight, strapped the windthrower boy's legs to the rock he sat on with earthen shackles.

"Good morning!" Aang called, despite the fact that it was afternoon, trying to amend for the restraints with a cheery expression.

"_Typical Twinkletoes,_"Toph snorted under her breath.

The airbender didn't spare his blind friend an injured glance. Instead, he waved. It was an open-palmed, friendly, non-threatening greeting, and seeing as the boy's arms hadn't been secured by Toph's hold, Aang inwardly prayed that the boy wouldn't respond with an air-blast to their guts.

Hachiro blinked in disbelief, and before his muscles could twitch into action, the flat stone he sat on seemed to grow arms, curling over his knees and fastening him to the ground. He grunted in surprise and raised his arms, ready to conjure a discharge of wind. But something flashed in his adversary's steel-gray eyes, something eerily remnant of the images in Hachiro's own energy, something that made him pause.

"What do you want?" the windthrower demanded, the tension in his shoulders returning, trying to maintain an intimidating air despite the fact that the odds were clearly against him.

The steel-gray eyes flickered. "Just to talk," Aang winced, "Sorry for the…erm…"

"We had to take precautions," the boy's companion cut in, and Hachiro's eyes flitted to her. The earthbender's voice was stronger than her thin frame suggested.

"So," Aang continued conversationally, cautiously relaxing his stance. "What's your name?"

Hachiro glared reproachfully at him.

The airbender bit his lip, and the wind suddenly picked up, ruffling his short hair and curling over his bare torso with a less than friendly attitude.

"Okay…well," Aang went on, shifting his weight uneasily, "I'm Aang. This is Toph, she's my earthbending teacher."

The glare didn't lessen.

Swallowing, the Avatar went on. "I know you have no good reason to believe me—but, I _am _the Avatar. My friends and I are trying to end this war."

Hachiro spat contemptuously. "The Avatar is supposed to be over one hundred years old. You are clearly not. If the Fire Nation wanted to trick us, they could've at least put some effort into it."

Toph felt a flicker of irritation. This guy's heartbeat was skipping along like a rabbiroo's pulse, but it wasn't from fear. Anger fizzled from every one of the boy's pores. She could practically _smell _it. Why was he so angry? What had they done to him?

Aang seemed to sense it too. "What have we done to deserve your hatred? Spent a night on your shores?"

Hachiro was simmering. "_Your _people killed my father. My father gave mercy to one of you deceitful, lying buckets of cave-scum, just for a brief second, and it cost him his _life. _I swore to never let another one get off of this island alive."

"We're _not _Fire Nation," Toph insisted firmly, as if a denial would be of any help. "How many of the people you've killed were _children_?"

Hachiro set his jaw. "The Fire Nation has been known to stoop to such low places in the past. This is no different."

"Come _on,_" the earthbender was exasperated. "How many firebenders have you met that can earthbend, huh? And waterbend? And _airbend?_"

Hachiro inhaled, leveling a cold stare at the girl, unaware that behind that shield of bangs, her dead eyes glittered angrily.

"I'll take that as _none,_" Toph quipped, planting her feet more firmly in the earth, reading the boy's vitals.

"Please help us," Aang pleaded, trying a different angle, struggling to open up to this complete stranger, to tell him the truth about how he had escaped Time's clutches. "Our two friends are from the Water Tribe. They found my bison and I trapped in an iceberg—" he inhaled, mentally noting the skeptical expression on the boy's face, "They freed us, and I found out that every airbender I ever knew and loved was gone—killed by the Fire Nation. I found my mentor's…" he swallowed around the lump in his throat, every nerve rebelling against his confession. He continued, leaving the feeling unheeded. "…I found Monk Gyatso's—remains—rotting under the awnings where I used to play with my friends."

There were _tears _in the kid's eyes, Hachiro realized. Real tears. Not pretend, sorrowful tears, but tears squeezed from the soul and borne from the worst kind of torture—the pain of loss. He blinked. _Monk Gyatso. _Hadn't he heard that name somewhere before?

Aang sniffled, embarrassed. He hurriedly rubbed the evidence from his eyes, feeling Toph's comforting hand resting on his forearm. He fixed his murky blue eyes back on the windthrower, who held his gaze, wide-eyed.

"Believe me," Aang asserted, trying valiantly to keep his voice from quivering. "I know the feeling."

A spark glittered in Hachiro's eyes. "Let me go," he demanded, "His voice low and quiet. "I—I need to talk to my grandfather."

Aang's first reaction was surprise, then suspicion. He glanced at Toph for confirmation. The earthbender had kneeled, pressing a palm to the ground.

"He's sincere," she said simply, straightening.

Aang's brow wrinkled with uneasiness. "Should we just…let him go?"

"Of course," Toph affirmed. After a pause, she added, "But we're going _with_ him."

* * *

Jinju stood beside Appa, applying a knarled old wooden bison-comb to the beast's furry coat. His mind whirled with dark thoughts, memories long buried and freshly reopened wounds.

"They just don't understand, do they, old boy?" the man spoke to the bison like a long-lost friend. "I wish I could have stopped time, like Aang seems to have done. I could've fixed things."

Appa murmured agreeably, full and sleepy from the concoction of fruit and water he had been fed, relishing the feel of the old, familiar comb detangling his fur piece by piece. The beast closed his eyes, imagining that he was lying in one of the Air Nomad temples, dappled sunlight shining down on his coat, surrounded by other bison and airbenders. Appa sighed forlornly, the air whooshing from his nostrils in a gust.

Jinju patted the beast comfortingly. "Don't worry, old boy," he said with a cheerfulness he did not feel, "Hopefully they'll let you out of this cave soon. I know how sky bison hate to not be able to see the sky."

All of a sudden, Appa's huge brown eyes snapped open, and his ears perked up. He grumbled unintelligibly, and stood with a great heave to his feet, ears twitching.

"What is it boy…?" Jinju had scarcely gotten the question out when a rumble shook the floor and three dusty figures emerged from beneath the ground.

The old man stumbled back with shock, dropping the comb with a clatter.

Aang used his airbending to remove the dust from their clothing, and was greeted by a joyful roar from his bison. A large pink tongue promptly slathered him with saliva.

"Appa! Ha-ha!" the airbender wrapped his arms over the bison's nose. "You all right, buddy? Is Jinju taking good care of you?"

Recovering himself, the old airbender in question tucked his hands into the folds of his dusty robe, eyeing his childhood friend peculiarly.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Jinju said after a moment of silence, his tone inflecting merrily, "You always were a wily one, Aang."

"Actually," the young Avatar piped, "This one was Toph's idea." He motioned to the earthbender standing partially behind him. She was covered in volcanic ash, and seemed perfectly fine with it.

"Grandfather!" Hachiro quipped, irritated that his mother's father was being chummy with these imposters. Something flared in the back of the young windthrower's mind. A tendril of white. Uncertainty.

"My dear boy," Jinju's rheumy old eyes focused on his grandson for the first time. "You weren't in on this escape, were you?"

"No," Hachiro replied bitingly, shooting a glare toward the escapees as he brushed a bit of ash from his shoulder. "No, I certainly wasn't! They compelled me to talk to them. I need to talk to _you _grandfather. How is it even possible that this…this _kid_," –he spat the word out contemptuously— "Can be the Avatar of old?"

Jinju regarded his grandson wistfully. "Do you remember, Hachiro," he began, drawing a steady breath, "When you accompanied your father in raiding that Fire Nation vessel that dropped anchor near our coast?"

Hachiro's eyebrows twitched, and Toph shifted her feet in the soil as she felt his heartbeat skyrocket.

"What does _that _have to do with anything?"

The boy's voice was full of anguish, and Aang flinched sympathetically. He knew how horrible it was to lose a father-figure.

Jinju didn't wince. "That girl didn't deserve to die, Hachiro," he stated, his voice quiet but firm. "Your father _knew _it was the right thing to defend her, even though logic told everyone else it was fruitless."

There were crystals of fury in the boy's eyes now. "My father _died _for _nothing_."

"She is Water Tribe, Hachiro," Jinju replied, his tone reprimanding.

"What difference does that make?"

"The Water Tribes have always been peaceful people," Jinju responded, his voice adopting that 'in my day' lilt to it.

Something flickered to the surface of Aang's mind. _Is. Jinju said 'is'._ The airbender raised his hand, waving it urgently. "Uh, excuse me, can I ask a question?"

Jinju's blue eyes flashed towards him, curiosity piqued. He dipped his head. "Of course."

"When was this? I'd like to have a frame of reference."

Hachiro glared venomously, but Toph blinked, tilting her chin knowingly—she had a vague idea of what Aang was talking about.

Jinju obliged willingly, biting his lip as he thought back. "About…nine years ago now? It was Hachiro's first mission. The girl seemed to be the only prisoner on board, and our scouts (who had been monitoring their hawk communications) told us that the captain had been ordered by the Fire Lord himself to execute her. Our raiding party was sent to sink the ship and loot any materials—namely food—we could use. That was back during the year-long blight that had hit many of the food sources on the island, and we were forced to look elsewhere. An ignoble necessity, but unfortunately there was no way around it…"

Aang's excitement was growing visibly. "Is that lady still here now?"

Jinju blinked. "Oh yes, one of the families adopted her. She had a bad bump on the head, she did, forgot who she was and all that."

The young Avatar could barely contain his enthusiasm, but he bit his tongue and waved Jinju on. "Thank you. Sorry to interrupt. Please continue."

Hachiro's glare had become a puzzled stare.

Jinju, blissfully unaware of what Aang was hinting at, smiled and leveled his eyes toward his grandson once more. "The point is, my boy, that your father did what he believed is right, he knew the consequences and _still _decided that it was worth it. He did not die for just anything, he died in defense of a woman who would have been destroyed by the Fire Nation, just as we were so long ago. I have the same feeling about these children. My heart tells me they are at risk for being destroyed, and my memory serves me well if my senses don't—Aang here _is _most certainly the Avatar."

Hachiro's gaze flitted from his grandfather to Aang, and then back to Jinju. Pain glimmered in his eyes, and he swallowed.

"I believe you," he murmured, his voice quiet.

Jinju closed the distance between them, placing a comforting hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Thank you," the old man's voice was low, quivering, and resonating with relief.

Suddenly, Appa's low growl boomed through the cavern, and all heads turned toward its source. The bison's teeth were bared toward the entrance to the cave.

"Father," Akiko stood there, flanked by two guards—one of them was Akira, wearing a frightful scowl that was aimed at Aang. The airbender tensed.

"What is the meaning of this?"

* * *

**A/N:** Ressurection! I know...*shamefaced*...it's been incredibly long. Thank you for those of you who have sent me reviews and messages with encouragement! You guys are more responsible for keeping this fic going than I am!


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